Gasoline dispensing nozzle and guard



Jan. 12, 1965 v. wlwEsT I GASOLINE"DISPENSING NO ZZ LE AND GUARD medDec.

INVENTOR. Vern W Vl esi A TORNEYS United States Patent C) 3,165,239GASOLINE DISPENSING NOZZLE AND GUARD Vern W. West, Fort Collins, (3010.,assignor to Pat Griflin, Fort Collins, Colo. Filed Dec. 11, 1962, Ser.No. 243,806 Claims. (Cl. 222182) This invention relates to improvementsin nozzles and more particularly relates to an improved form of nozzleadapted for coin operated gasoline dispensers and the like.

Where gasoline is measured and dispensed by coin operated mechanisms,and particularly where the customer of the filling station fills his owntank, wedging objects such as a piece of wood or a stone are frequentlywedged under the control lever or trigger for the nozzle and force thetrigger in position to hold the nozzle valve open and etfect thedelivery of gasoline without exerting manual pressure on the nozzlecontrol trigger.

While a coin controlled gasoline dispenser will stop the delivery ofgasoline when an amount corresponding to the value of the coinsdeposited in the coin slot has been delivered, the customer frequentlydoes not remove the Wedge and hangs the nozzle on the nozzle hook in itsreceptacle, with the wedge holding the nozzle valve open.

A next customer, not being aware the nozzle valve is wedged open, willdeposit coins in the coin slot, remove the nozzle from the nozzlereceptacle and raise the pump switch lever to effect the delivery ofgasoline in accordance with the value of coins deposited. The nozzlevalve control lever or trigger being wedged open, gas will immediatelybe delivered through the nozzle, and many times the entire amount ofgasoline paid for will be delivered be fore the nozzle can be insertedin the tank inlet.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel formof tamperproof nozzle so arranged as to prevent the holding of thenozzle valve open when the operators hand is removed from the valveoperatin trigger.

Another object of the invention is to providea new and improved form ofgasoline dispensing nozzle having a novel form of guard for the valveopening lever or trigger for the nozzle, so arranged as to prevent thedispensing of gasoline unless the trigger is operated by the hand, to'

hold the valve in an open position.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a gasoline dispensing nozzleconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the nozzle guard with the connecting earsfrom the nozzle to the guard shown in section; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial fragmentary transverse sectional view takensubstantially along line IIIIII of FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, I haveshown in FIGURE 1 a nozzle for dispensing gasoline. Said nozzle may beof a conventional form and includes a body 11 having an inlet hose 12communicating with said nozzle at the rear end of a handle portion 13 ofsaid nozzle. The nozzle also has a tube or spout 15 leading from theoutlet end thereof and adapted to be inserted within the inlet pipe of agasoline tank and the like.

A passageway 16 leads from the hose 12 through the handle 13 to a valvechamber 17, having an annular seat 18 therein, aifording communicationbetween the passageway 16 and an outlet passageway 19 communicating withthe spout 15. A poppet valve 20 of a conventional form, is biased intoengagement with the seat 18 as by a compression spring 21. A stem 22 isconnected to and leads 3,165,239 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 downwardly fromthe poppet valve 20 outwardly of the valve body through a packing nut23. The stem 22 forms a plunger opening the valve 20 upon depression ofsaid stem.

The stem or plunger 22 is engaged at its lower end by a seat 24 on avalve opening lever or trigger 25, intermediate the ends of said lever.The under surface of the body 11, adjacent the spout 15, has a pair oflaterally spaced ears 26 extending therefrom in a generally angularlydownwardly direction and forming a mounting for one end of a triggerguard 27, and a mounting for the fulcrum bolt or pin 29 for the trigger25. The opposite end of the trigger guard 27 is mounted on a pair ofspaced depending lugs 30, as by a nut and bolt 31. i

As shown in FIGURE 1, the lever or trigger 25 has an upturned forwardend portion 32 terminating in a downwardly facing hooked end portion 33,having bearing engagement with the fulcrum pin 29. The trigger 25 alsohas a generally horizontally extending portion 35, extending from thehooked end portion 32 beneath the stem or plunger 22 and having the seat24 for the stem 22 mounted thereon, intermediate the ends of saidhorizontally extending portion. The horizontally extending portion ofthe trigger 25 terminates into an upright portion 36, extendinggenerally vertically from said horizontally extending portion and havinga handle portion 37 extending angularly rearwardly and downwardlytherefrom, with the rear end thereof extending within the limits of thetrigger guard 27. p

The trigger guard 27 comprises two parallel spaced guard plates 39extending along opposite sides of the horizontal portion 35 of theoperating lever or trigger 25 and secured to the spaced ears 26 at theirforward ends as by the fulcrum pin or bolt 29, and an angularlydownwardly and forwardly spaced bolt 40.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the plates 39 are closed at their bottomsby a bottom plate 41 extending between said plates for a portion of thelength thereof and extend upwardly to the packingnut 23, to form a guardfor the horizontal portion 35 of the trigger 25 and valve stem 22throughout the entire extent of valve opening movement of said triggerand valve stem.

The bottom plate 41 terminates at its rear end into a vertical partition44, extending between the guard plates 39 and upwardly along the rearend of thevertically extending portion 36 of the trigger 25. The spacebetween the' guard plates 39 rearwardly of the partition 45 is open.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the operating portion of thevalve operating lever or trigger 25 and the valve stem 22 are coveredduring the entire extent of valve opening and closing movement and thatthe bottom plate 41 and the partition 45 guard the trigger and valvestem from being wedged open by a stone or the like, to hold the nozzlevalve open when the hand is released from the hand grip portion 37 ofthe trigger.

It may further be seen that the trigger guard is of a simplifiedconstruction and may be adapted to various forms of commercial gasolinedispensing nozzles and renders the nozzle tamperproof and isparticularly adapted for :coin operated gasoline dispensers in that itprotects the nozzle against the uncontrolled delivery of gasolineattained by wedging the trigger in an open position by a piece of wood,a stone or the like.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a nozzle for dispensing gasoline and the like, a nozzle body, avalve stem projecting downwardly of said nozzle body, a triggerextending along said nozzle body and disposed beneath said valve stemand having operative engagement therewith, a fulcrum for one .end of.

beneath'said valve stem, and having an upright portion extendingupwardly of the rear end thereof having a finger grip extendingrearwardly therefrom, a trigger guard extending along opposite sides ofsaid trigger and including spacedguard plat'esof sufiicient depth toguard said trigger and valve stem for the full extent of movementthereof, and a partition connecting said guard plates together andextending upwardly alongthe vertically extending portion of saidtrigger.

2. In a nozzle for dispensing gasoline and the like, a nozzle body, avalve stem projecting downwardly of said nozzle body, a triggerextending along said nozzle body and disposed beneath said valve stemand having operative engagement therewith, a fulcrum for one end of saidtrigger, adjacent the forward end of said nozzle 7 body, said triggerhaving a generally horizontally exportion extendingupwardly of the rearend thereof having a finger grip extending rearwardly therefrom, atrigger guard extending along opposite sides of said trigger andincluding spacedguard plates of suflicient depth to guard said triggerand valve stemfor the full extent of movement thereof, and a partitionconnecting said guard plates together and extending upwardly along thevertically extendingportion of said trigger, and a bottom wall extendingbetween said guard plates from the region of said fulcrum to saidpartition.

3. In a nozzle for dispensing gasoline and the like, a nozzle body, avalve stem projecting downwardly of said body and guided for extensibleand retractible movement with respect to said body, a trigger foroperating said valve stem and extending therebeneath and along theunderside of said body, a packing nut for said valve stem, a fulcrum forsaid trigger, at the forward end thereof, and a seat for said valve stemon said trigger intermediate the ends of said trigger, said triggerhaving an upright portion spaced rearwardly of said seat and having afinger grip extending rearwardly therefrom, and said nozzleguardcomprising spaced guard plat% extending along opposite sides of saidtrigger upwardly into the region of said packing nut and having a rearend portion rearwardly of said upright portion of said trigger, ofreduced height, to accommodate the fingers to grip said finger grip andretractibly move said valve stem to effect the flow of gasoline throughsaid nozzle, and a partition between said guard plates extendingvertically along the upright portion of said trigger and preventingaccess to said trigger between said fulcrum and the rear end portion ofsaid upright portion of said trigger 4. In a nozzle for dispensinggasoline and the like, a nozzle body, a valve stem projecting downwardlyof said body and guided for extensible and retractible movement withrespect to said body, a trigger for operating said valve stem andextending therebeneath and along the underside of said body, a packingnut for said valve stem, a fulcrum for saidtrigger, art the forward endthereof, and a seat for said valve stem on said trigger intermediate theends of said trigger, said trigger having an upright portion spacedrearwardly ofsa-id seat and having a finger grip extending rearwardlytherefrom, and said nozzle guard comprising spaced guard platesextending along opposite sides of 'said' trigger upwardly into the 1region of said packing 'nut and having a rear end portion rearwardly ofsaid upright portion 'of said trigger, of reduced height, to accommodatethe'fingersto grip said finger grip and retrac-tibly move said valvestem to effect the flow of gasoline through said nozzle, and a partitionbetween said guard plates extending vertically along the upright portionof said trigger and preventing access to said trgger between said;fulcrum and the rear end portion of said upright portion of saidtriggensaid guard plates being closed along their bottoms from theregion of 'said fulcrum to said partition and'being open along theirbottoms rearwardly of said partition in the region of said finger grip.v I

5. In a nozzle for dispensing; gasoline and the like, a nozzle body, adepressible valve stem projecting downwardly of said nozzle body, atrigger extending along said nozzle body and disposed beneath said'valve stem and pivoted to said body at one end and having a generallyhorizontally extending operating portion extendingrearwardly of thepivot of said trigger to a portion of said body beneath said valve stemand also having .an up right portion extending upwardly of saidoperating portion, rearwardly of said valve stem, and havinga fingergrip extending angularly downwardly therefrom in a convenient positionto be engaged by the fingers to operate said trigger to depress saidvalve stem and effect the delivery of gasoline throughsaid nozzle, andmeans preventing the wedging of said trigger and valve stem in a valveopening position comprising two guard plates connected to said nozzlebody at one end and extending along said trigger beyond said finger gripupwardly to said 'nozzle body, said guard plates extending upwardlyalong opposite sides of the valve operating portion of said'trigger andupwardly'along said valve stem toward said valve body and completelyenclosing the valve operating portion of said trigger and said valvestem for the entire length of valve opening and closing travel thereof.

Logan Dec. 4, 1951 w l en 9a- 7. 52

1. IN A NOZZLE FOR DISPENSING GASOLINE AND THE LIKE, A NOZZLE BODY, AVALVE STEM PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY OF SAID NOZZLE BODY, A TRIGGEREXTENDING ALONG SAID NOZZLE BODY AND DISPOSED BENEAH SAID VALVE STEM ANDHAVING OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, A FULCRUM FOR ONE END OF SAIDTRIGGER, ADJACENT THE FORWARS END OF SAID NOZZLE BODY, SAID TRIGGERHAVING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING OPERATING PORTION EXTENDINGREARWARDLY OF SAID FULCRUM BENEATH SAID VALVE STEM, AND HAVING ANUPRIGHT PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF THE REAR END THEREOF HAVING AFINGER GRIP EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM, A TRIGGER GUARD EXTENDINGALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TRIGGER AN INCLUDING SPACED GUARD PLATES OFSUFFICIENT DEPTH TO GUARD SAID TRIGGER AND VALVE STEM FOR THE FULLEXTENT OF MOVEMENT THEREOF, AND A PARTITION CONNECTING SAID GUARD PLATESTOGETHER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ALONG THE VERTICALLY EXTENDING PORTIONOF SAID TRIGGER.